Tomato farmers across Tamil Nadu are facing severe financial distress as prices have fallen sharply, reaching as low as ₹7 per kilogram in the retail market. The drastic price drop has made harvesting unprofitable, forcing many farmers to destroy their crops instead of selling them.
High Investment, Low Returns Leave Farmers Helpless
Farmers like R.M. Senthilnathan, from Thumpichipalayam near Kallimandayam in Oddanchatram taluk, Dindigul, have been badly affected. Senthilnathan invested over ₹5 lakh in fertilizers, pesticides, and fencing for his six-acre tomato farm.
“For the past two months, I was harvesting around 20 boxes of tomatoes daily, with each box weighing 14 kg. Initially, prices ranged between ₹200 and ₹280 per box, but now, due to oversupply, they have plummeted,” he told IANS.
With labourers charging ₹3 per box for plucking, harvesting has become unviable. “We have no choice but to destroy the crop and prepare for the next cultivation,” he added.
Oversupply Leads to Price Crash
The situation is similar across Dindigul and Tiruppur districts, where tomato prices have fallen further from ₹10 per kg last week to ₹6 per kg.
Trader M. Manikandan, from the Oddanchatram market, explained that large-scale arrivals of over 200 boxes per shop daily have resulted in a price drop to ₹4-₹5 per kg.
Tomatoes are being supplied in bulk from villages like Amarakudi, Poochukudi, Ayakudi, Reddiarchatram, Ambilikkai, and Kallimandayam, leading to an oversupply in the market.
Favourable Climate Increases Production, Deepens Crisis
A horticulture department official stated that farmers targeted tomato cultivation in Oddanchatram due to high prices in October 2024. Many farmers from Vadamadurai in Vedasandur taluk also took up tomato farming.
“The cool and pleasant climate boosted production, resulting in a surplus. This trend is expected to continue for the next few weeks,” the official said.
Tiruppur Farmer Distributes Tomatoes for Free
The crisis has affected farmers beyond Dindigul. In Tiruppur, 40-year-old farmer Veerasamy R. took the drastic step of giving away his tomatoes for free before destroying his crop.
“I spent over ₹1 lakh cultivating tomatoes on my two-acre farm. But with transportation costs at ₹30 per crate and labour charges at ₹35, the current market price is too low to cover my expenses,” Veerasamy said.
A month ago, he sold tomatoes for ₹25 per kg, but as prices crashed to ₹7-₹12 per kg, he was forced to sell a 15-kg crate for just ₹100.
“For three days, I sold tomatoes at this price, but after that, I stopped harvesting. I let villagers take tomatoes for free, fed some to my cattle, and then destroyed the remaining crop using a tractor,” he added.
Veerasamy noted that around 100 small and micro farmers from Karaipudur in Tiruppur have been severely affected. He called for a minimum support price (MSP) of ₹25 per kg to make tomato farming sustainable.
Farmers Demand Government Support
A senior horticulture department official in Tiruppur confirmed that high yields had caused the price drop. However, he predicted that prices may rise in the coming days.
“The government needs to make a policy decision on setting a minimum support price to prevent such losses,” he said.
Farmers across Tamil Nadu echoed this demand, urging authorities to intervene and stabilize tomato prices to protect their livelihoods.
